circuits

Area of Interaction: Environments

Significant Concepts: Basic circuits

Unit Question: How have circuits impacted our environments?

INVESTIGATE:
Define the following:
Voltage: a measurement of electricity

Current: electricity

Resistance: turning electricity into heat

Circuit: a complete path of electricity

Transistors: Electronics . a semiconductor device that amplifies,oscillates, or switches the flow of current between twoterminals by varying the current or voltage between one ofthe terminals and a third: although much smaller in sizethan a vacuum tube, it performs similar functions withoutrequiring current to heat a cathode.

LEDs: light emitting diode tiny light bulbs

Capacitor: a device for accumulating and holding a charge of electricity,consisting of two equally charged conducting surfaces havingopposite signs and separated by a dielectric.

Resistor: a device designed to introduce resistance into an electric circuit.

Switch: a device for turning on or off or directing anelectric current or for making or breaking a circuit.

Digital Electronics: The implementation of two-valued logic using electronic logic gates such as and gates, or gates and flip-flops. In such circuitsthe logical values true and false are represented by two differentvoltages, e.g. 0V for false and +5V for true. Similarly, numbersare normally represented in binary using two different voltages torepresented zero and one.
Digital electronics contrasts with analogue electronics whichrepresents continuously varying quantities like sound pressureusing continuously varying voltages.
Digital electronics is the foundation of modern computers anddigital communications. Massively complex digital logic circuitswith millions of gates can now be built onto a single integrated circuit such as a microprocessor and these circuits can performmillions of operations per second.

Integrated Circuit: a circuit of transistors, resistors, and capacitors constructed on asingle semiconductor wafer or chip, in which the components areinterconnected to perform a given function

Binary Code: the language that computers use they involve 1's and 0's

How have circuits impacted our environment? they have moved us into the information era

Go to the following site and run the circuit construction kit. The site is:
Circuit Link

Using this site, answer the following questions:

1. Using one battery, make the light bulb work.
a. Volts:9
b. Amps:.9

2. Light two light bulbs with one battery.
a. Volts:4.5
b. Amps:.45

3. Using a switch to light one light bulb.
a. Volts:9
b. Amps:.9

4. Use a capacitor with your circuit. (One battery, one bulb)
a. Volts:goes down
b. Amps:goes down

5. Use an inductor in your circuit. (One battery, one bulb)
a. Volts:gradually increases
b. Amps:gradually increases

6. Use an AC Voltage in your circuit. What happens to the current?
a. Volts:it oscilates?
b. Amps:it oscilates?

7. Which items in the grab bag complete the circuit?
(One battery, one bulb)
a. Dollar Bill no
b. Paper clip yes
c. Penny yes
d. Eraser yes
e. Pencil lead yes
f. Hand yes
g. Dog no

8. Use a resistor in your circuit. (One battery, one bulb)
a. Volts:4.5
b. Amps:.45


9. Add two batteries to light one light bulb.
a. Volts:18
b. Amps:1.8

10. Add three batteries to the circuit. Right click on one of the batteries
and change the voltage to 100%. What happens to your batteries?
a. Volts:
b. Amps:

11. Make your own circuit
a. Volts:
b. Amps:
c. Explain what happened with your circuit:
d. Describe/draw your circuit below:



CREATE
Now start your circuit project. Get the materials and instruction from Ms. Bradfield.

EVALUATE

Answer the Following Questions After You Complete Your Circuit:
1. Did you like making the circuit?
2. What did you like the least about making the circuit?
3. What did you like the best about making the circuit?
4. Using complete sentences, explain how circuits can be applied in the real world. (List three)


5. Were you careful with the circuit, solder, and soldering iron?
6. Were you respectful and nice to other students?
7. Did you take a picture of both your circuits and add them to this wiki page?

ATTITUDE
1. Did you have a good attitude answering the questions? Explain:
2. Did you have a good attitude making the circuits? Explain:
3. Were you a whiny baby during the circuit unit? Explain: